If you’re watching this, you’ve almost certainly played a game made by Rare. What’s more,
you’ve probably loved a game made by Rare. What make it so likely? From Battletoads to GoldenEye,
from Viva Pinata to Sea of Thieves – Rare has been making games for every kind of gamer for
35 years. and that rich history is what makes them a truly unique force in modern gaming.
The year was 1982. Brothers Tim and Chris Stamper-Rare's Founders-were working around the
clock to create game for the 8-bit ZX Spectrum PC under the unwieldy name, “Ultimate Play the game.”
The Stampers felt driven to innovate. In 1988 Tim Stamper told Crash Magazine “we
worked seven days a week eight am til one or two in the morning. I don't feel it's
any good having engineers who only work nine to five because you get a nine to five game."
Ultimate released their first game in 1983, an arcade-style, platforming shoot-em-up called
Jetpac. The game delighted critics and sold more than 300,000 copies. In 1984,
after releasing a number of well-received titles, Ultimate released Sabre Wulf,
a critically acclaimed action adventure that broke sales records. Ultimate followed
Sabre Wulf with another 1984 release, Night Lore. This lauded isometric puzzle adventure
is still widely regarded as a key entry in the British gaming history.
As home gaming evolved, the Stampers saw the UK-only ZX Spectrum as a dead end. Intrigued by
Nintendo’s more advanced and more popular Famicom, the Stampers formed Rare with the sole purpose
of creating tech demos by reverse engineering the console – a feat Nintendo had declared impossible.
When the Stampers succeeded, Nintendo gave them an
unlimited budget to create games for their system. It was 1985. Rare was on its way.
Between 1986 and 1991, Rare created almost 50 NES titles that spanned a variety of genres-sports,
adventure, game shows, racing, platformers, and more.
Tim Stamper told MCV, “Rare was innovative thinking and innovative.”
Slalom (1987) R.C. Pro-am (1987)
Cobra Triangle (1989) Snake, Rattle ‘n’ Roll (1990)
Solar Jetman (1990) Digger T. Rock (1990)
Battletoads (1991) R.C. Pro-am II (1992)
Nintendo was so impressed that they bought 49% of the company and allowed Rare to build a game
for one of their most iconic IPs. Rare released Donkey Kong Country in 1994,
launching a trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. All Three games ran
among the console’s top ten best-sellers. In 1995, Rare brought their acclaimed
Killer Instinct to the SNES. This success across genres would follow them to the NIntendo 64.
1997’s GoldenEye 007 revolutionized the console shooter. Then, in 1998 Rare released
the colorful platformer, Banjo Kazooie. Both games won multiple awards, critical acclaim,
sold millions of copies, and are still regarded as game-changing titles.
Outbid on the rights to GoldenEye’s sequel, Rare turned their next shooter into an original IP:
Perfect Dark. It was a good move. The game earning glowing accolades and ultimately sold more than
two million copies. As the N64 era drew to a close, Rare decided to revisit the platformer
genre while emphasizing adult humor. Conker’s Bad Fur Day was released to rave reviews and won
several awards. Limited advertising hampered sales, but the game grew a loyal cult following.
Despite Rare’s winning streak, Nintendo never bought the studio outright. With development
costs rising, Rare courted buyers that could help them grow into the future. Activision made
a play for the studio, but Microsoft won out, purchasing Rare for $275 million USD
in September, 2002. Rare released two games for the original Xbox: Grabbed by the Ghoulies (2003),
and Conker: Live & Reloaded (2005), but they turned their efforts to the new Xbox 360.
Kameo - Elements of Power: This shape-shifting action adventure began as a Nintendo title,
but helped launch the Xbox 360 in November 2006. Perfect Dark Zero: Perfect: Perfect Dark Zero also
began as a GameCube title, but launched alongside the Xbox 360. It sold more than a million copies.
Viva Pinata: In 2006, IGN called this fantastical life simulator
“easily one of the best, if not the best, Rare game since Microsoft bought it in 2002.”
Kinect Sports: sold more than three million copies and won BAFTA’s Family game of the Year award.
The Stampers left Rare in 2007, and by 2010 Rare had shifted its focus to Xbox Avatars and Kinect.
But as the industry moved away from motion controls,
Rare evolved yet again. In 2013, they rebooted Killer Instinct under a free-to-play model, and
in 2015 released Rare Replay, a 30-game anthology celebrating 30 years of making great games.
Meanwhile, Rare was working on a new IP-the biggest project they’d ever undertaken...
Sea of Thieves launched in 2018 and was the first title to debut on Xbox Game Pass. With
two million players in its first week, The game became Xbox One’s fastest-selling IP.
For two years, Rare has been transforming the with free updates, adding new areas,
enemies, quests, gameplay, weapons, loot, and a dedicated PVP Arena mode.
As of 2022, more than 25 million players have sailed the Sea of Thieves,
with Executive Producer Joe Neate calling it “the most successful new IP from Xbox this generation.”
In 2020, Rare-Overseeing production with Dlala Studios- Rebooted what is arguably
their most iconic IP: Battletoads. Lie the original, this Multi-genre mash-up has co-op
brawling at its Throughline, but the game also features eclectic mini-game elements. “
Battletoads takes everything that made the NES
original memorable,” IGN says, “and reworks it into a friendlier, funnier beat ‘em up.”
With the recent unveiling of Everwild, there’s no need to speculate about Rare’s future.
The studio once famed for its secrecy has been forthright about Everwild’s early development.
Speaking to polygon, Studio head Craig Duncan explained:
“Louise [O’connor] and her leadership team are really passionate about giving players a world
that they can just lose themselves in... Part of the reason we haven’t talked a lot
about Everwild is because we’re still feeling a lot of these things out.”
For 35 years, Rare has followed its muse, not the trends. Craig Duncan recently told
Polygon that this ethos hasn’t changed. “I think we’re definitely idea-first,” he said.
“We will bet and incubate and nurture the idea we think is great,
and then we’ll assume that all the business side of it will figure itself out as we go.”
If the past is any indication of the future,
then gamers can expect great things from Rare for years to come. Well, another 35 years, at least.